# CHARGED Initiative

> CHARGED gets the electric distribution system ready for the electrification of buildings and transportation — in a way that keeps power affordable and reliable.

It works outside traditional regulatory processes. By convening utilities, advanced energy companies, technical experts, and public-interest groups in a structured, collaborative space, CHARGED generates solutions that scale, replicate, and adapt across the country.

CHARGED is convened by GridLab in partnership with RMI and Advanced Energy United. Everything below is published by the initiative and free to read, cite and reuse; citation lines are printed on each resource page.

## Key pages

- [About CHARGED](https://chargedinitiative.org/about/): What the initiative is, how it works, who takes part, and its published impact figures.
- [Resource Library](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/): Every CHARGED publication, filterable by topic, type and audience.

## Resource Library

- [CHARGED Implementation Workstream Overview](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/charged-implementation-workstream-overview/): Fact Sheet, September 1, 2026. In 2024, the CHARGED Initiative was formed with the goal of removing barriers to reliable and affordable electrification on the distribution system. Founded by GridLab, RMI, and Advanced Energy United, the CHARGED Initiative is designed to make progress outside of… PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/CHARGED-Implementation-Workstream-Overview.pdf
- [Distribution System Planning Fact Sheet](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/distribution-system-planning-fact-sheet/): Fact Sheet, August 10, 2026. Covers scenario-based, bottom-up forecasting and proactive investment strategies that move beyond traditional single-peak planning. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CHARGED-Distribution-System-Planning-Fact-Sheet.pdf
- [Targeted & Integrated Deployment Fact Sheet](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/targeted-integrated-deployment-fact-sheet/): Fact Sheet, August 10, 2026. Offers near-term strategies for coordinating demand-side management and electrification programs, including better data-sharing across utility teams. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CHARGED-Targeted-Integrated-Deployment-Fact-Sheet.pdf
- [Grid Connections Fact Sheet](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/grid-connections-fact-sheet/): Fact Sheet, August 10, 2026. Outlines actionable fixes for connection bottlenecks, including flexible connection sizing, streamlined procedures, and earlier customer engagement. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CHARGED-Grid-Connections-Fact-Sheet.pdf
- [Inaugural Convening Report](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/inaugural-convening-report/): Report, April 10, 2024. Recaps CHARGED’s April 2024 Inaugural Convening in Boulder, CO, where 60 stakeholders identified over 50 solutions for electrification. Organizes recommendations across planning, rates, deployment, grid connection, and operations, plus a cross-cutting need for better data sharing. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CHARGED-Inaugural-Convening-Report-2024-2.pdf
- [Great Britain Study Trip Report-Out Memo](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/great-britain-study-trip-report-out-memo/): Memo, August 6, 2025. Reports findings from a May 2025 study tour in which seven U.S. regulators examined Great Britain’s demand flexibility markets and incentive mechanisms. Identifies both near-term actions and longer-term regulatory reforms U.S. states could pursue. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/CHARGED-GB-Study-Trip-Report-Out.pdf
- [Transatlantic Learnings on Regulatory Innovation: Commissioner Insights on Flexibility in Great Britain](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/transatlantic-learnings-on-regulatory-innovation-commissioner-insights-on-flexibility-in-great-britain/): Webinar, August 6, 2025. Features U.S. commissioners sharing insights from their May 2025 study tour of Great Britain’s flexible, affordability-driven grid. Translates Great Britain’s regulatory innovations into strategies relevant to U.S. distribution systems.
- [Charged Overview](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/charged-overview/): Fact Sheet, October 24, 2025. Introduces the CHARGED Initiative, a coalition of utilities, policymakers, industry experts, and public interest groups. Explains its mission to develop practical, scalable solutions that prepare the U.S. distribution grid for rapid electrification. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/CHARGED_Overview.pdf
- [2025 Annual Convening Report](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/2025-annual-convening-report/): Report, December 5, 2025. Documents the August 2025 CHARGED Annual Convening in Chicago, where stakeholders built on prior working group efforts. Summarizes discussions across six cross-disciplinary topics: locational demand-side management, data platforms and data access, medium and heavy-duty fleet electrification, holistic approaches to grid… PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CHARGED_2025-Convening-Report.pdf
- [Proactive Investment Report](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/proactive-investment-report/): Report, December 18, 2025. Lays out a framework for proactive distribution system investment, developed with utilities and regulators at CHARGED’s 2024 Inaugural Convening. Covers what qualifies as a proactive investment, the risks involved, and how to implement supporting processes. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CHARGED_Proactive-Investment-Framework_Report_update1.pdf
- [GIS Best Practices Fact Sheet for Regulators](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/gis-best-practices-fact-sheet-for-regulators/): Fact Sheet, January 15, 2026. Summarizes GIS benefits and recommendations from the full GIS Best Practices Report for a regulatory audience. Helps regulators understand how strong GIS data supports oversight of utility electrification investments. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CHARGED-GIS-Fact-Sheet-for-Regulators.pdf
- [GIS Best Practices Report](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/gis-best-practices-report/): Report, January 15, 2026. Provides in-depth guidance on distribution system GIS investments, drawn from utility interviews and site visits. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CHARGED_GIS-For-Electrification-Report.pdf
- [Flexible Grid Fact Sheet for Regulators](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/flexible-grid-fact-sheet-for-regulators/): Fact Sheet, January 22, 2026. Introduces regulators to flexible grid connections as a tool to speed up electrification while deferring costly infrastructure upgrades. Reviews regulatory pathways, cost-recovery options, and equity considerations for implementation. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CHARGED-Flexible-Grid-Fact-Sheet-for-Regulators.pdf
- [Flexible Grid Fact Sheet for Utilities](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/flexible-grid-fact-sheet-for-utilities/): Fact Sheet, January 22, 2026. Answers utilities' top questions about flexible grid connections in a quick-reference format. Covers how flexible connections differ from traditional ones, rollout steps, expected benefits, and ways to manage cost and risk. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CHARGED-Flexible-Grid-Fact-Sheet-for-Utilities.pdf
- [Charging Ahead with Electrification: Getting GIS Right](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/charging-ahead-with-electrification-getting-gis-right/): Webinar, May 19, 2026. Explains why utilities need accurate, up-to-date GIS data as distributed generation and electrified loads strain distribution systems. Shows how strong asset-location data supports capacity expansion, reliability, and cost control.
- [GIS Best Practices Fact Sheet for Utilities](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/gis-best-practices-fact-sheet-for-utilities/): Fact Sheet, January 15, 2026. Condenses the GIS Best Practices Report into utility-focused guidance for maximizing geographic information system investments, drawing on lessons from real-world utility GIS implementations to support electrification planning. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CHARGED-GIS-Fact-Sheet-for-Utilities.pdf
- [Proactive Investment Factsheet](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/proactive-investment-factsheet/): Fact Sheet, December 18, 2025. Summarizes technical and regulatory considerations for making distribution capacity investments ahead of anticipated load growth. Offers practical guidance for utilities and regulators navigating investment decisions under demand uncertainty. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/CHARGED_Proactive-Investment-Framework_Fact-Sheet_update1.pdf
- [From DERs to CERs: What Australia’s Energy Transition Means for U.S. Regulators](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/from-ders-to-cers-australias-energy-transition/): Webinar, April 29, 2026. Examines Australia’s world-leading rooftop solar penetration — 30% nationally, 50% in South Australia — and its shift toward managing consumer energy resources. Compares U.S. and Australian grid structures to draw lessons for American regulators.
- [Lessons from the 2026 CHARGED Initiative Australia Study Tour](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/lessons-from-the-2026-charged-initiative-australia-study-tour/): Report, April 28, 2026. Documents a March 2026 study tour in which nine U.S. utility commissioners traveled to Australia to study distributed energy management at scale. Highlights Australia’s blueprint for a customer-focused, flexible grid and its relevance to U.S. regulatory challenges. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CHARGED-Australia-Study-Tour-Lessons.pdf
- [What can US utility regulators learn from Australia’s distribution market?](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/what-can-us-utility-regulators-learn-from-australias-distribution-market/): Blog, April 1, 2026. Reflects on CHARGED’s nearly two-year mission to prepare U.S. distribution systems for electrification through international learning exchanges. Shares takeaways from the Australia study tour on tools and approaches for a better-managed distribution grid.
- [Charging Ahead with Electrification: A Proactive Investment Framework](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/charging-ahead-a-proactive-investment-framework/): Webinar, February 24, 2026. Discusses how utilities can build distribution capacity ahead of anticipated demand growth using long-term forecasts. Covers the Proactive Investment Report’s recommendations for planning processes and specific actions for utilities and regulators.
- [Charging Ahead with Electrification: Flexible Grid Connection](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/charging-ahead-flexible-grid-connection/): Webinar, January 29, 2026. Challenges traditional grid connection methods that plan for worst-case, simultaneous maximum load. Presents flexible grid connection as a way to speed up new load connections and avoid unnecessary infrastructure spending.
- [Flexible Grid Connections Implementation Report](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/flexible-grid-connections-implementation-report/): Report, January 22, 2026. Provides a 10-step roadmap for implementing flexible grid connections, including staggered, schedule-based, and dynamically managed approaches. Draws on case studies from the UK and Australia to show how utilities can reduce connection delays without major capital investment. PDF: https://chargedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CHARGED-Flexible-Grid-Connections-Implementation-Guide.pdf
- [Blog: The Case for Utilization Metrics and Utility Benchmarking](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/blog-the-case-for-utilization-metrics-and-utility-benchmarking/): Blog, November 11, 2025. Explores the incentive structures behind Great Britain’s flexibility approach, including utilization metrics and utility benchmarking, which were top themes from a U.S. regulator delegation to Great Britain.
- [How UK Grid Innovation Can CHARGE US States](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/how-uk-grid-innovation-can-charge-us-states/): Blog, June 18, 2025. Recaps a May 2025 visit by U.S. regulators to Great Britain to study its market-based approach to grid flexibility. Highlights lessons on accelerating electrification and deferring infrastructure costs that could translate to U.S. states.

## Solutions

- [Proactive Investment](https://chargedinitiative.org/solutions/proactive-investment/)

## Topics

Each links to the library filtered to that topic.

- [Flexible Grid Connection](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/?topic=flexible-grid-connection): 5 resources
- [Proactive Investment](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/?topic=proactive-investment): 3 resources
- [GIS & Data](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/?topic=gis-data): 4 resources
- [International Lessons](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/?topic=international-lessons): 7 resources
- [Convenings](https://chargedinitiative.org/resources/?topic=convenings): 5 resources